Independence Day III
by DrDoc
Summary: Humanity is still recovering from the last alien invasion and learns the main force of over half a billion aliens is speeding towards Earth.


**INDEPENDENCE****DAY III**

Story by: BY LARRY R. KIPP, ELIZABETH R. KIPP & MASTIN KIPP

Copyright 2011 by Larry R. Kipp, Elizabeth R. Kipp & Mastin Kipp

**LOGLINE:** _Humanity is still recovering from the last alien invasion and learns the main force of over half a billion aliens is speeding towards Earth._

DR. Henning is briefing the President, NSA and the Joint Chiefs of Staff about her findings of data taken from the Destroyer Ship they invaded three weeks ago.

"We now know the aliens are coming from Alpha Centari B, an orange dwarf with a mass about 90% that of our sun," she states categorically. "Alpha Centari B is a little under 4.4 light years away," she continues. "We also know the aliens don't travel at light speed. They have several types of ships." Henning says "I need to digress here for a moment. We know of the fighters, the Destroyer Ships and the so-called 'mother ship'. But from the log," she adds, "we now know that the so-called 'mother ship' was the equivalent of one of our aircraft carriers. The real Mother Ship is approximately 7,640 miles in diameter and may carry a population of close to 800 million aliens."

The crowd murmurs.

Again Henning raises here hand to quiet the group and continues. "We also know that their Mother Ship is their slowest ship, and the journey from Alpha Centari B to Earth takes about 400 of our years."

"Well, that a relief" says one of the generals in the room.

Henning raises her hand to quiet him and continues. "Unfortunately" she says, looking nat the general, "they left about 395 years ago and for the past 75 years they have been slowing down. Based on the alien log data I expect them to be entering our sun's Ort Cloud right about now. If my calculations are correct, and I had them triple checked by others, I expect them to reach Earth orbit in five years, nine months and 28 days, give or take."

POTUS asks SECSTATE to call a meeting of what's left of the G8 and China.

Two days later a Chinese delegation asks permission to land on the western White House lawn. Permission is granted. An old Soviet jetliner with Chinese markings hovers silently then lands. The Chinese Premier and his entourage emerge wearing space suits and announces that the plane is retrofitted with alien technology, including the alien power and slip-stream systems taken from an alien fighter. He introduces DR. Ai-Ping Liang as the man responsible for making this possible to the President of the United States.

The next day Ai-Ping is picking a rose bud from a garden when Levinson and Hiller walk up and introduce themselves. Ai-Ping thanks them for destroying the aliens in the Ross Sea, then asks if it is time for the meeting. Levinson nods his head and waves his arm towards the doorway.

They enter the Western White House compound conference room and find it full of technical nerds and top military brass. Ai-Ping places the rose bud in a vase on the table in front, then walks up to a chalk board and faces the audience.

"We dismantled an intact alien fighter and discovered its power source," Ai-Ping begins.

He then describes the alien power system, called a ZPO or zero-point orb. Drawing on a chalk board he shows the ZPO consists of two spheres, one inside the other: the smaller one is black and the size of ping pong ball; the other consists of two hemispheres about the size of a soccer ball which are dull black on the inside and metallic on the outside. "These orbs naturally repel each other through magnetic forces" he continues. "Thus, the smaller central sphere when placed inside the larger outer sphere naturally rests in the center without touching the other one." He says, drawing a diagram on the blackboard. He the reaches down into a box and pulls out the actual alien devices. He positions one of the larger hemispheres on one side opf the rose bud, then positions the smaller black sphere on the other side. The hemisphere he has placed is damaged, but he shows that the hemisphere is compressible. Although he does not know how that is normally achieved. Ai-Ping states "This compressibility is crucial for the operation of the ZPO since varying the distance controls the intensity of the effect".

"What effect?" asks Levinson.

Ai-Ping approaches the vase holding the rosebud in the center of the table. With one hand Ai-Ping holds the alien black ping pong ball-like object; in his other hand he holds one hemisphere of the alien soccer ball-like object. He positions each on either side of the rose bud and slowly brings them ever closer. Suddenly, the rose bud is visibly seen to open. He moves the alien objects closer and the rose petals expand fully. He moves even closer and the petals and leaves fall off and the stem turns brown. During the latter half of this, the air begins to slightly glow.

"When I bring these devices I am holding in my hands closer to one another, in the space between them, time accelerates immensely. The glow you see is the energy being released by virtual particles rapidly forming and decaying within the accelerated space-time" says Ai-Ping. He pulls his arms away and taps the hemisphere in his hand on the metallic table and a spark forms. Spfffzzt! "And this is the energy captured during the annihilation of the virtual particles" he says.

Ai-Ping grabs a stack of papers and begins handing them out. "This is energy output data I have gathered from twelve of the ZPO's we have reconstructed. As you can see, there is a very large amount of energy that can be generated in a sustained fashion if the outer sphere is compressed sufficiently. We calculate that each ZPO can power a fighter, or city of 30,000. We have dedicated one to powering the aircraft we arrived on. When the aircraft is not in use we plug it in and use the ZPO energy to help operate the airbase.

Levinson asks "What do you mean by sustained? How much down-time is there due to maintenance?"

Ai-Ping responds "Our first ZPO went operational seven months ago. We have not had any reason to perform any maintenance on the ZPO per se, only on equipment down-line from the ZPO".

"We estimate" says Ai-Ping, "that during the original alien attack twelve years ago there were 36 alien attack vessels. Four of those were destroyed recently in the Ross Sea, leaving potentially 32 destroyer ships, each holding up to 500 fighters, each having one ZPO. We need to recover as many downed alien fighters as possible to salvage the ZPO's on-board. Oh, and by the way, we have not had any luck getting any of the ZPO's on the four alien destroyer ships we destroyed in China to work."

Ai-Ping looks at Hiller, sitting in the front row aisle seat and hands the small black orb to Hiller. "Keep it" says Ai-Ping. Hiller eyes the black orb, then thanks Ai-Ping for the 'Zippo' and put it in his pocket. It's heavier than he thought it would be.

At a meeting of the President and the Chinese Premier POTUS asks if the Chinese plane outfitted with the alien ZPO would be able to bring members of the G8 together for a conference. The Premier hesitates, then asks the President if we have any spacesuits for the passengers. "They were all in Houston, so no." replies the President. "In that case" says the Premier, "we will have to fly within the atmosphere for the pick-ups. That may take longer, but fuel is not a problem," he says smiling. "Very well" says POTUS.

At the G8 meeting there is much discussion about how recovering the power cells from the alien fighters will greatly aid the global economic recovery. The British Prime Minister says that our first goal should be to identify the tasks that lay ahead for defending the planet from this new alien invasion. "We should set up working groups to this end" he concludes. The Russian premier stands up and angrily says "It's time to take this war to the aliens". No one agrees as they point out that we don't have the technology we need. Rebuffed, the Premier gets angrier and reprimands the US for having recently re-commissioned its nuclear subs to battle the Antarctic aliens at the Terror Rift "without telling us", and then points his finger at the Chinese Premier for sharing ZPM technology with the US but not Russia. "We were attacked first. Mother Russia will not let that go unanswered". As the Russian Premier walks out, he passes a countdown clock that reads "T-2109 days".

Startled, the British Prime Minister organizes his papers then says "I think the first order of business is retrofitting planes as the Chinese have done"

At a later meeting of General Gray, Levinson, Hiller, Henning and others at the Western White House compound, Gen. Gray announces that the G8 has decided the first order of business is getting our economies back in working order. "Only then will we be able to adequately strengthen our defenses," he says. To accomplish that there are three major tasks: 1) recover and reuse as much alien technology as possible, including their fighters power systems, 2) set up a global defense communications network and 3) use the Zippo technology recovered from their fighters to create Zippo generators that will re-power Earth's cities and manufacturing centers in preparation for manufacturing weapons and space technology, including space-capable fighters.

Levinson asks about planetary defense. Gen. Gray says the G8 is working on that. Levinson suggests that with space-capable planes, a very large, extremely low frequency (ELF) array could be set up on the Moon to broadcast anti-permission codes within a large volume of space surrounding the Earth, essentially creating a no-fly zone in the space around Earth. Gray asks Levinson for a report with all the details, but is concerned about approval since our resources are stretched right now.

POTUS enters the meeting. CONNIE is with him. The President announces that the G8 has tasked the United States to plan and set up a planetary communications system and a planetary defense force of Zippo-powered and slip-stream enabled planes converted from existing stock. He also says that NASA spacesuits have been recovered from Cape Kennedy.

Levinson asks what 'slip stream technology' is. POTUS looks a Hiller for help.

"Oh," says Hiller, "Slip stream technology is akin to the aliens' shield technology, which for some reason we can't seem to get to work. Basically, what the 'slip stream force field does is reinforce the body of the plane to allow rapid acceleration.

"Is this like the 'inertial dampeners' in the old Star Trek movies?" asks Levinson.

"Well" says Hiller, thinking, "..uh, yes. It allows us to accelerate without getting our heads smashed against the backplate of the cockpit seat AND protects the structural integrity of the plane body."

"That being all" says POTUS, "I would like to take this opportunity to promote one of my officers. Colonel Hiller?" POTUS signals with his hand for Hiller to step forward. Hiller approaches the President and salutes him and says "Yes sir?".

POTUS reaches into his pocket and pulls out a small box. He opens it and pulls out two silver stars and places them on Hiller's eupalet. POTUS says "Congratulations Major General" and shakes his hand. "Your first order of business, General, will be to re-form the First Marine Combat Group, but re-named as the First Marine Space Combat Group. The Group is to be based at Area 51. You are also to recruit and train candidates for the new unit. Congratulations". Everyone claps.

After the meeting POTUS pulls Hiller aside and gives him a sealed envelope. "This is the formal approval of Dylan's application to the US Naval Academy. I regret the Academy has been moved to Pensacola but I think Dylan may not mind it a bit". POTUS and Hiller shake hands as Hiller thanks him.

Hiller enters the door to his home. "Jasmine!?" he says as he walks into their bedroom.

"Hi Honey" she says weakly, still recovering from Alien Syndrome.

"What are those stars on your collar?" she asks.

"Oh, I got promoted…to GENARAL!" he says, grinning. "Also, the President endorsed Dylan's application to the Academy" Hiller says excitedly.

"Dear," says Jasmine, "you better talk with Dylan about that"

"You bet!" says Hiller.

Jasmine looks at her husband with a frown, then says "No dear. . . you better TALK with him."

"Oh?" asks Hiller, confused. He points back towards the bedroom door and turns his head, as if to ask 'is he in?'.

Jasmine nods. Hiller turns and begins to leave when Jasmine says "Be gentle, Honey".

Hiller goes to Dylan's room and raps gently on the door. "Dylan?" he asks.

"Yeah, I'm here" says Dylan, weakly.

Just then Aunt Enid walks buy with a load of laundry.

Hiller enters. All the blinds are pulled, Hiller can just make out Dylan laying on the bead. Hiller looks at Dylan. "Did you get up today?" asks Hiller.

"Yeah, I fixed myself a cup of tea, but it was too bright so I came back here."

"That eye sensitivity oughta be gone by now" says Hiller. "I got some news" says Hiller, softly.

"Oh?" asks Dylan, barely interested.

"The President signed off on your application to the Naval Academy" Hiller says softly but excitedly.

"Oh God" says Dylan. "Really? What am I going to tell him?" ask Dylan to himself. "Steve, I don't think I'm ready for the Academy." Dylan gives a smirkful "Ha!" "I mean, Steve, what are we going to be able to do against the aliens when they arrive?"

Hiller sits down on the bed. "Did I ever tell you about Tun Tavern?" he asks.

"Tun who?" asks Dylan.

"Tun Tavern. Captain Samuel Nichols held the first Marine recruitment there, back during the Revolutionary War. The reason they needed Marines was to raid British warships for arms and war supplies to supply General Washington. The first Marines were mainly sailors or fishermen who could also shoot. At Tun's Tavern they recruited the first Marines to raid British warships, and even raided Halifax. These raids gained gun powder, cannon and other supplies for General Washington, who sorely needed them, since the Continental Congress didn't have much in the way of money to pay for them. That's what we're doing now, again" says Hiller. "By the time the aliens arrive you could be a Marine Aviator flying a space ship. Don't give up on this country yet. We've been here before".

Hiller rises and says "The Marines will be our first line of defense against these aliens, and I think we have a pretty good chance of beating them, or at least outsmarting them. Stuff doesn't happen unless people take action; life goes on. . .at least until the aliens get here. But it is ultimately your decision."

Hiller walks to the door. "You rest now, and give me or Enid a call if you need anything." He hesitates, "Or. . ." he hesitates, ". . . we could do some one-on-one. This may be the last time I could beat you".

Dylan grins, gets up, puts on some sunglasses and out they go.

The Time Clock reads **T-2030 days: **

Dylan arrives at the Academy in Pensacola for Plebe Summer. A few weeks later he finds himself standing in front of the 'Monkey Climb' next to his new friend Parker; he sees two rows of ropes two feet apart dangling 30 feet down in front of him. The goal is to grab the rope from Row 1, swing, then grab another rope from Row 2, swing again and grab a rope from Row 3, etc. Each time you swing you gain a little height on the new rope. When you run out of rope you turn around and work your way up going the other way. Trainees are to keep this up until they reach an elevated platform 20 feet up at the end of the line of ropes, where they finally land. No climbing on a single rope is permitted. A mud puddle is below the lines of ropes. An upper classman announces that "Anyone who gets muddy misses chow that night." Hiller, Parker and most of the others miss chow that night.

Over the next year crews worldwide salvage wrecked alien fighters, recover the Zippos and ship them for retrofitting.

Dylan begins his first year at the Academy.

Levinson, after some failures, helps create the first Zippo powered generator. Once completed it will be used to power Area 51.

POTUS tries to convince the Russian Premier to re-join the G8, but the Russian Premier refuses, still angry from the previous meeting.

Ai-Ping is in Russia and on the phone with one of his technicians, who is in Ai-Ping's lab in China. Ai-Ping's lab crew is about to put two black orbs together to create a more powerful generator. Ai-Ping is giving instructions when the line goes dead. Later he learns his lab has been vaporized. A perfectly spherical crater 150 meters wide and 75 meters deep marks the area where Ai-Ping's lab used to be. Word goes to the G8 to keep the recovered black orbs from coming into close proximity with one another.

After hearing the news, the Russian Premier directs his General to start making bombs with their recovered Zippos.

**T-1580: **The Area 51 generator is turned on. Hiller is shown a hanger containing six advanced prototype aircraft built before the alien invasion. LT. General Deaveraux informs Hiller that no one has figured out yet how the alien shields work, but the Zippo power sources and the alien anti-gravity and slip-stream technologies adapt to our planes very well. Hiller relays his insistence to the General that shield technology must be developed.

**T-1375: **The French President informs the Russian Premier that the alien Mother Ship has been spotted entering the solar system. The Mother Ship appears to be almost as large as the Earth. He asks the Russian Premier to rejoin the G8. The Russian Premier declines and adds he is developing bombs… "big bombs".

**T-1300: **Planes, retrofitted with Zippos and the slip-stream technology, are fabricated world-wide. They are named "G8's" regardless of the type of plane being retrofitted ("G8 fighter", "G8 cargo", etc.).

Hiller starts contacting retired Black Knights and other pilots as recruits for the new Black Sky Knights.

**T-1151: **The Mother Ship reaches the orbit of Neptune.

**T-1030: **The first G8 fighter rolls off the assembly line. Hiller is told conclusively that the alien shield technology will probably not be replicated, let alone installed, by the time the aliens arrive. "Then we have to go to Plan B," says Hiller.

**T-1022: **Hiller returns to his home in Sacramento with Jasmine. Jasmine starts throwing up and Hiller fears she may be having a relapse of Alien Syndrome. Jasmine says with a wry smile "The only 'alien syndrome' I have, I got from you stranger. I'm pregnant!" After rejoicing, Hiller wonders how he can protect his squadrons, let alone his new baby, from an alien attack without shields.

**T-1010: **Gen. Gray enters Levinson's office and tells him his plan for the ELF array on the Moon has been approved and resources are now at his disposal.

**T-1005: **California Seismological Institute reports a major seismic event in Siberia. G8 spacecraft confirm a perfectly spherical crater twelve miles wide and half a mile deep in the area. The sky is filled with the debris that was vaporized.

That night the Russian Premier conducts a conference call with all the G8 members (including China) and announces that Russia has a new Omega Bomb that will destroy the aliens. After the call the Premier instructs his General to make 60 more Omega Bombs. The GENERAL objects saying "We only recovered 1,722 ZPO's, and with 24 ZPO's/bomb, 60 bombs requires 1,440 of them. We need ZPO's to re-power our cities and to get our economy going again. The Americans and the rest of the G8 are way ahead of us on this." The General loses the argument.

**T-955: **Levinson, wearing a spacesuit, steps out of a G8 cargo plane onto the dust of the Moon. He instructs his crew to "dig here" to create the underground base.

The crew sets up a temporary surface base. Inside, he explains to the Navy Construction Batallion (CB's) unit assigned to him the base's general layout: "This is an ELF antenna array." He unrolls a schematic. "It has a 28 mile radius and is powered by this…" (looking out the window and pointing to a big box being removed from a G8 C5A cargo plane) "…45 megawatt Zippo generator. We're going to use telephone poles to set up the array; it's the quickest way. It turns out, gentlemen, that most of the Moon's surface, once you get beneath the foot or so of fine dust, is hard rubble. Digging the holes is going to be difficult. And we have to place the underground bunker 100 feet below this rubble, so we'll have to go down about 200 feet in total."

**T-927: **The Mother Ship reaches the orbit of Uranus.

**T-733: **Jasmine has a BABY BOY. They name him James, after Hiller's best friend, the 'reverend' Jimmy Wilder, who was killed in action.

**T-705: **Hiller leads the first Combat Air Patrol (CAP) of G8 fighters. Hiller explains that from now on there will always be a CAP of eight fighters patrolling a volume of space that is twice the distance of the Moon's orbit around Earth. "We are the eyes and ears of the world, Gentlemen" he says. As they leave Earth's atmosphere they pass an orbiting G8 cargo plane unloading and placing a communications satellite in orbit.

Hiller adds "Later we'll set up some long range recon patrols, or LRRP's, that will patrol all the way out to Neptune. That way we'll be able to keep an eye on the Mother Ship and most of the Solar System".

**T-703: **The Mother Ship reaches the orbit of Saturn. For the first time a Carrier Ship (formerly known as a 'mother ship') is seen accompanying it.

**T-680: **One of the Moon Base installed telephone poles collapses and knocks down several other poles. Levinson implores his crew to recover and reuse as many poles and cables as possible since they have little, if any, reserves available.

The CB CORPORAL salutes Levinson. "Dooooon't salute….I'm a civilian," says Levinson.

**T-623: **The Mother Ship and the Carrier Ship reach the orbit of Jupiter.

**T-583: **Dylan graduates from the Naval Academy. Hiller and Jasmine, holding James, greet him. Dylan says he's applied for G8 flight training, much to Hiller's satisfaction.

**T-583: **The Aliens reach the orbit of Mars. Alien fighters start strafing Earth's cities as a harassment action. Hiller and other G8 fighters engage the alien fighters but the lack of shields means they cannot engage for long. "Fight them just like I showed you" says Hiller. A lone Russian fighter comes into the battle and fires a single rocket at a flight formation of five alien fighters. The rocket flies among the formation then suddenly explodes and turns the area white. The alien fighters are vaporized. No alien fighters return after that. Hiller asks the Russian pilot if they can spare any of those missiles. "Nyet" is all he hears on his radio.

That night the Russian Premier brags on the phone to the French President about the Omega Bomb used in the attack.

**T-480: **POTUS is briefed by Connie that the Mother Ship has entered Earth's orbit, but on the opposite side of the Sun. POTUS asks "Why there?" and is told that it's a 'good' thing, since the mass of the Mother Ship is so large that approaching Earth would significantly change Earth's orbit.

**T-308: **Dylan is at Basic School. He is facing the Monkey Climb again. He jumps at the first rope and begins to swing and work his way up. Then he slips, his feet just missing the mud below. He turns again and finally finds himself on the platform looking down at the ropes. His friend Parker is behind him and finishes too.

**T-295: **Dylan and Parker are accepted for G8 flight school. They and other volunteers get off a bus at the end of the runway at Pensacola Naval Air Station. Several G8 fighters with pilots are waiting for them. Maj. Gen. Hiller welcomes them. Each recruit gets into a G8 fighter and the fighters take off for Area 51. They first do a fly-by of the Moon, much to the delight of the recruits. The entire flight takes 25 minutes.

**T-206: **A LRRP PILOT near Saturn reports that the alien Carrier Ship is departing from the Mother Ship and heading for Earth.

**T-114: A **CAP PILOT observes Russian bombers leaving Earth and heading towards the Carrier Ship. The next day the Russians engage the Carrier Ship, which sends out its own fighters. A space battle ensues. The bombers ignore the fighters and head for the Carrier Ship. One by one the bombers are destroyed, but two get through. There is a huge white explosion followed by another. G8 LRRP OBSERVERS temporarily lose their vision. Once regained, it becomes clear the Carrier Ship has survived the explosion while all the alien fighters and the Russian Bombers were vaporized. The Russian Space Fleet is no more.

The Russian Premier is informed by phone of the outcome by Russian Space Command. He hangs up, bitter, and pours himself a vodka. "It's all over" he says as he slouches into his chair.

**T-25: **Dylan and Parker graduate from flight school and receive their Naval Flight Officer Astronaut Wings. They are assigned to Space Airborne Early Warning Squadron 1, a Space Rescue Squadron (SVAW-1), nicknamed the Night Hawks.

**T-10: **There is a cave-in at the underground Moon Base access-way. CB's estimate it will take 13 days to remove the rubble and replace the cut cable coming from the base to the array.

POTUS, informed of the cave-in by Connie, calls the RUSSIAN PREMIER, who turns out to be a new person. POTUS asks if they might have an alien Mole. The Premier says he will check and get back to him.

**T-6: **The Russian Premier calls POTUS and informs him that he has located the Mole but they will need it returned before the aliens arrive. POTUS asks if they can deliver it directly to the Moon Base. The Premier agrees.

**T-5: **A Russian Zippo-powered cargo plane arrives at the Moon Base and Russian technicians unload and activate the Mole. The Mole soon reaches those trapped below, including Levinson in the underground array communications base. Levinson notes three things: first, the Mole's path left a path of dust, so the Mole's path will be the easiest way to the surface; second, they need to seal off the room the Mole entered since some air is leaking; and third, they only have 4 ½ days left to get the array operational.

**T-0: **The alien Carrier Ship positions itself in an Earth orbit opposite the Moon. The 36 Destroyer Ships (DSs) deploy and divide into two groups. One group positions itself to hover above the Arctic and the other group positions itself above Antarctica.

In the Moon Base the crew is frantically trying to complete the passageway from the base to the surface. Levinson receives a call from a CB corporal working on the cable who reports that the Array won't be operational for another nineteen hours.

**T+1: **Connie informs POTUS that the two groups of DS's are now in position and are preparing to fire their primary weapons at the Poles. POTUS asks for an update on the Moon Base and is told the array will be operational in 12 hours. The DS's open fire continuously at the Poles.

Observers at the US base at McMurdo, Antarctica, go outside and looking south towards the Trans Antarctic Mountains, see the green rays of the alien ships firing and steam billowing on the other side of the mountains. They report this to POTUS.

POTUS discusses options with his military brass. One urges him to launch the G8 fighters. Another argues that launching the fighters won't be effective since the aliens have the advantage of shields and we don't. They agree that the only option is to wait for the Array to get up and running.

The Moon Base crew re-connect the Array cable. Levinson throws the switch and the Array starts broadcasting. OBSERVERS on the surface of the Moon scan the DS's for any effect. They report there is none.

The CB corporal asks why it isn't working.

Levinson is in the Moon Base Control Room checking the dials, and replies: "I keep saying- this is ELF broadcasting-that's _extremely low frequency_, people. The information transmission rate is very slow, just a few characters per minute. It will take another 75 minutes for the entire message to be broadcast once, then-…hopefully… , Checkmate."

With seven minutes left to complete the first broadcast of the ELF signal that will revoke the alien ships' permission codes, the DS's, continuing to fire, launch fighters that head for the Moon.

Hiller is in his G8 fighter tossing his Zippo up in the air and catching it, enjoying the light gravity on the dark side of the Moon. He receives a radio report of the alien fighter launch and probable target. He places the Zippo in his pocket. "Oh no, you don't," says Hiller. "I thought you might try this." He radios his men: "Black Knights: the hour has come. I know we don't have shields, but we need to buy time for the Moon Base to complete its broadcast. Launch and assume formation Alpha Zulu." Twenty-four squadrons of G8 fighters and the six Area 51 fighters launch from their position on the dark side of the Moon. The fighters spread out in all directions to intercept the fanning out alien fighter formation. The six Area 51 fighters head for the Moon Base to provide aerial support.

The G8 fighters draw nearer and Hiller radios his men to attack the aliens. The G8 fighters begin firing green laser fire at the aliens. A group of alien fighters pulls out and heads for the six Area 51 fighters, engaging them. Other G8 fighters pull out of formation and come to their aid. Russian fighters, coming from Earth, also enter the fray.

One minute into the fight the ELF broadcast completes its first cycle of the anti-permission code transmission. In the next minute the DS's cease firing and 30 seconds later the deployed alien fighters stop directed movement and drift in space. Some of the alien fighters crash into the Moon. A third of the G8 fighters have been destroyed or damaged, but the Black Knights and the Russians bought enough time to get the ELF transmission sent.

Hiller speaks into his microphone: "Okay, let's get the Night Hawks out here." Five larger rescue and recovery spacecraft launch from the dark side of the Moon. They start recovering damaged fighters - alien, G8 and Russian models. Dylan pilots one of the Night Hawk rescue vehicles.

Gen. Gray informs POTUS: "Looks like we beat them Sir. The Destroyer Ships have stopped firing and their polar orbits are decaying. They should begin entering the atmosphere in three to four hours."

"What about the Carrier Ship? Wasn't it protected from the ELF broadcast since it is on the opposite side of the Earth from the Moon?" asks POTUS.

"No sir" says Gen. Gray. "The ELF broadcast went right through the Earth. ELF broadcasting was used all the time in mining operations, Sir, and for contacting submarines deep under water. Levinson knew what he was talking about, that's for sure. Right now, the Carrier Ship is drifting, albeit slowly, towards the Sun."

"Thank God" says POTUS.

**T+2: **Dylan's crew is called to pick up the Mole. When they arrive at the Moon Base they find some Russian technicians loading an Omega Bomb into the Mole.

Levinson informs Dylan that the Carrier Ship seems to have regained control and is heading towards the Moon. He adds that Gen. Gray ordered us to assist the Russians.

The Mole is loaded onto Dylan's rescue spaceship, which looks much like a cargo plane with a retractable boom attached to the top back of the vehicle. Once the Mole is in Dylan's craft, the technicians lift a large ring device that slips onto the back of the Mole.

"What's that?" asks Dylan, pointing to the ring device.

"That's the spin stabilization and thruster device," answers a Russian technician in a heavy Russian accent. "At launch, this Mole will want to orient nose first towards the Earth. We want it to orient towards that Carrier Ship. This ring will help us do that and provide thrust".

Three large bottles of compressed air are attached to the outside of the Mole. "This is our fuel", says the technician.

"But, it's only air", says Dylan.

"Of course", says the technician. "But it's bottled at extremely high pressure". He pats one of the black bottles. "Carbon fiber…" he says, "… very strong".

"But what about the shields?" asks Dylan.

"Oh…easy" says the Russian. "The alien shields recognize alien craft, including this Mole, and allow them to pass. Only our ships and missiles can't get through".

The Carrier Ship approaches the Moon and starts firing at the Array. Nearby, Dylan's ship deploys the Mole and launches it towards the Carrier Ship. One of the Russian technicians steers the Mole by remote control. The Mole penetrates the shield, then the hull, and once Dylan's ship is far enough away, the Omega Bomb is detonated. The Carrier Ship explodes.

Major celebrations occur after the defeat of the aliens. With no Carrier Ship, nor Destroyer Ships, the aliens can't attack Earth. Earth won!

**T+7: **A G8 fighter on LRRP duty near Neptune detects the Mother Ship initiating a retrograde orbit. The Mother Ship is still in Earth's orbit, but is slowing down, then reverses direction. Scientists warn Connie that in two months the Earth will catch up with the Mother Ship and the alien Mother Ship's gravity will accelerate Earth into an elliptical orbit that will take Earth past Mars.

No one knows what to do.

**T+8: **The next day alien ships of a configuration not seen before arrive over Earth. They are observed teleporting drifting alien fighters. A squadron of G8 fighters launches and harasses the alien ships, which have shields but no weapons. Dylan's ship is doing a salvage operation, when he and his ship are teleported by an alien ship into its hold. He sees numerous damaged and disabled alien fighters inside the hold. Aliens enter Dylan's ship. The aliens' ESP forces Dylan and his crew unconscious.

Hiller leads a squadron of G8 fighters to affect a rescue. While attempting to rescue his son, Hiller receives a call that the Moon Base is again under attack. As Hiller turns his ship, it is teleported into the alien ship's hold. Then Hiller blacks out.

Hiller wakes, finding himself under the mind control of an alien, and is extracted from his ship and taken to a holding area. After Hiller enters the holding cell, the alien releases its mind control and Hiller sees Dylan and his crew there, too.

Hours seem to pass. The prisoners hear and feel the alien ship bump against something. "We must be docking" says Dylan. Everyone blacks out.

Dylan wakes up with a horrendous headache. He is in another holding room, along with just one of his crew, Hiller and Levinson. Levinson relates how the Moon Base was attacked by aliens, that the aliens destroyed the Base and took him prisoner. "We're in the Mother Ship now" he says. Dylan is frightened. Hiller wakes up, holds his head and sees Dylan. Hiller stands up and asks if Dylan is alright. Levinson brings Hiller up-to-date about their situation.

Levinson relates his trip to the Mother Ship:

The alien ship docked with the Mother Ship. Levinson emerged from the ship via alien ESP control. The control is released as he is grasped BY two very large aliens. Levinson sees that they are in an enormous hanger. Most of the hanger is filled with a new Carrier Ship being built and almost completed. He sees many other ships he doesn't recognize. They come to a lift with transparent walls. One of the aliens taps in a code set in the lift's door. The lift door opens and they enter. The lift moves them many floors deep into the Mother Ship. On each floor he sees a multitude of aliens busy making things, moving things or running consoles. Finally, the lift stops. The door opens. They walk down a long large hall. The aliens throw Levinson into the holding room. There is Dylan, one of his CREW and Hiller, all passed out. "So that's the situation" says Levinson.

Hiller, angry, says "Well, just don't tell me you heard the fat lady sing."

Hiller reaches into his pocket and pulls out some folded up aluminum foil. He hands it to Dylan and tells him to put it on. Dylan looks confused. "On your head!" urges Hiller. "It will stop the ESP". Dylan puts the aluminum foil on his head and hides it under his hat.

"I'd still like to know where the rest of my crew is," says Dylan.

Three aliens arrive. An alien places a device on Levinson's head and one on Hiller's head. The sense of ESP control goes away and the aliens in the room turn away, ignoring them. Hiller and Levinson are free to act on their own again. Hiller shakes his arms and hands.

"Come" they hear in their heads as an alien uses ESP to talk with them.

As they leave Dylan yells "Dad!" Hiller responds saying: "It's okay 'D'. We'll be back."

Hiller and Levinson leave the room escorted by two of the aliens. The third alien goes to Dylan's last remaining crew member, pokes him, grabs him, and, using ESP, forces the crew member to walk out of the room like a zombie. The crew member walks down a hall, goes through a door and enters a kitchen area. He sees a large vat of hot oil. A dead alien is rolled into it and the pot roils as it deep fries the alien.

Two aliens take Hiller and Levinson to a lift. Levinson observes the alien operating the lift's controls. When the alien is finished, they feel the lift drop down many floors. They step into a chamber filled with aliens tending control consoles. From what they can see, they appear to be in a very large Incubator Room. The aliens escorting them leave. Aliens working in the Incubator Room ignore them. They walk freely around the room. They hear, via ESP, "Welcome hoo-man" within their heads. They turn and see a very large alien, much like the one that attacked them in the hanger of the DS almost six years earlier. They realize the device on their head allows this alien to 'speak' to them using ESP. Levinson notices that none of the aliens are wearing biosuits, and that the gravity is weak, though stronger than on the Moon.

"You wear the Queens Communicator. As long as you wear it my crew knows you are under my protection" says the large alien."

The large alien turns and points to a translucent, back-lit door, one of many, being opened. Two aliens rush to the door and help remove a grown alien clone dripping wet. "These" the large alien says, pointing, "are why we are here". The newly born alien is placed in a biosuit and taken from the room.

A regular-sized alien with a needle comes to the large alien, extracts something from her and injects it into the just-emptied maturation chamber.

"So, you must be the Queen," Levinson says.

The large alien seems astonished. "You know of me" she states. "Then you know your place, too. You are space bacteria and I will soon fix that. But first, I want to show you just how futile your efforts have been." She turns and begins to walk away. Levinson and Hiller follow her. They enter an oriel with an alien guard on either side. A clear curved door closes leaving them alone with the Queen. She pushes some images on the electronic screen teleporting them to a balcony overlooking the enormous construction bay where the new alien Carrier Ship is being finished.

"This ship will soon be completed. We take resources from where ever they may be" she brags.

The Queen pushes some other keys teleporting them to another balcony overlooking a bay containing an enormous mill; in the distance they see piles of ore being fed into the mill. Bragging about her power, the Queen asks how humans thought they could ever prevail against her. "Humans are no more than pesky space bacteria. They will be eradicated from the Universe, like so many other space bacteria I have eradicated before" she says.

Levinson asks how the aliens can harvest the Earth if they put it in an orbit so far from the Sun. The Queen responds that "humans think small, for I can harvest planetary bodies in deep space. I don't need the warmth of a star. I merely prefer it." The Queen pushes some more buttons and they find themselves in a vast enclosed space. One of the guards in this area gives them bracelets. A guard tells them that the bracelets will allow them to pass through the force field further ahead.

"Do you have force fields?" sneers the Queen.

They walk through the door and enter a balcony, passing through the force field. Levinson and Hiller see just how huge this spherical chamber is, about thirty-five miles to the central black sphere, which itself is at least 100 miles wide. The slightly glowing air illuminates the sphere with arcs of electricity that pass from the empty air to collectors protruding from the room's sides. They see aliens floating weightlessly in the space tending the protrusions. They wear EVA harnesses freeing them to navigate the chamber. They are checking and working on the wall of the outer sphere. Eventually these aliens move off into the distance to continue their work.

Hiller, Levinson, the Queen, and the guard stand alone. Levinson gazes at the black sphere that appears to float in the center. It is a giant Zippo. "This is how I power EVERYTHING" the Queen brags. "You have no power that even approaches this. You think so small...just like space bacteria."

The Queen continues: "In another of your 'weeks' my Carrier will be ready to launch. Oh, you did delay me by destroying the others, but your planet's iron core will soon give me the materials I need to create not only new Carriers, but a new Home Ship as well."

"You mean 'Mother Ship" says Levinson.

"How quaint" says the Queen. "Mother Ship? No, there is no 'Mother', only I. My dominion extends for ages into the past, and ages into the future. My only goal is to rid the galaxy of space bacteria like you, and replace them with...me." She waves her hand towards the accompanying guard. "All my subjects are... me". In a menacing tone she adds: "The last thing you will know is me".

She whispers "space bacteria! Ugh!"

Hiller turns and faces the Queen. "You know, you really should get to know us better before you start name-calling."

Levinson addresses the Queen: "Uh, Queen, I think you underestimate us. The malice and ingenious aggression of those you sent before have prepared us for any treachery you may have in store. We have learned the benefits of Space Power and have learned to cope with your kind when on our planet. We have had," he looks at Hiller, "what is it, uh, yes, almost six years to contemplate your arrival. The things we have done, and are doing, may prove we are able to defend our planet and ride out the woe of your short-lived tyranny. This is what you are up against: every human, every town, every religion, every nation, linked together in a way that's never happened on Earth before, ready to ensure you pay too high a price for threatening us. As I used to say to my Dad: 'Check'".

The Queen says "What?"

Hiller says "You heard him, 'Check'." He pulls out his little Zippo and shows it to her.

The Queen recoils and gasps.

"And this is 'Checkmate'". He hurls his small Zippo at the big Zippo, 35 miles away.

The Queen screams. The guard hurls himself off the balcony and into the space, following the little Zippo, attempting to grasp it. Levinson kicks the Queen's knee and she falls down. The Queen's tentacles reach out to him. He hears her voice: "I must get his head piece off". Levinson dives and rolls to the edge of the balcony next to Hiller. The Queen stands up and lunges for them. Hiller ducks, lifts her legs and heaves her off the balcony into weightlessness. She drifts towards the large black sphere floating helplessly in space. "Take that, you bitch!" he yells. Hiller and Levinson run for the teleporter. Levinson says "I saw her punch in the codes; I think I can get us out of here". He punches the keyboard and teleports them back to where they first met the Queen. They appear and the guards look at them. Seeing they still have on the head devices, the guards ignore Hiller and Levinson. On the way up in the lift Levinson asks Hiller how fast he threw the Zippo.

"Huh?" asks Hiller.

"How fast did you throw the Zippo" asks Levinson.

"Oh, my arm isn't what it used to be. I'd say maybe 50 to 55 miles per hour. It's my shoulder. That's why I can't throw 3-pointers anymore" says Hiller. "Why?"

Levinson thinks for a moment and says: "Okay. That gives us a little over 35 minutes if that big Zippo is actually 35 miles away."

An alien leads Dylan to the kitchen where he faces a vat of very hot oil. The alien looks at Dylan, realizes the ESP isn't working and grasps Dylan with two of its tentacles. It picks him up and dangles him over the pot of hot oil in a taunting, rocking way. Dylan grasps the alien's tentacles and moves his feet in unison, just like at the Monkey Climb, and kicks the alien in the gut. The alien releases one of Dylan's arms. On the return swing, Dylan grabs another tentacle and raises himself up and onto the back of the alien. He wrings the alien's neck. The alien goes limp and his head falls into the hot oil. Dylan rushes out of the kitchen only to find Hiller and Levinson staring at him. "Steve!" he says, "Boy am I glad to see you!"

Hiller asks Dylan about the whereabouts of his other crewmate. Dylan responds: "They cooked him!...They cooked all of them!"

Levinson says: "We've gotta go, c'mon, go go go; there's only one way out of here for us and I'm the only one that knows it." He ushers them down the hall to the lift. Once in the lift Levinson pushes some buttons and the lift takes them upwards. The lift opens, unexpectedly, back near the balcony where they fought with the Queen. Another large alien can be seen some distance away, coming their way. "You have sabotaged the Queen, and I have taken her place" says the alien in ESP to Hiller and Levinson. "Seize them!" she says and three alien guards converge on their position. Hiller pulls out his sidearm and shoots them. The new Queen is startled and backs away. He hears her thoughts that she needs to get a message 'to the top' and 'how she must reach that console to do so'. Hiller spins, removes his alien head device and gives it to Dylan. Hiller takes Dylan's aluminum foil. "'D', take this. You and Levinson get out of here. Nuth'ins gonna happen unless I take some action….I'm gonna slow down this new Queen."

"But Steve!" yells Dylan. "Dad!"

Hiller looks at Dylan. This is the first time Dylan has called him 'Dad'. Hiller says "No ifs, ands, or buts' 'D'. I need you to do this, son. Life goes on." Hiller looks at Levinson. Levinson nods then pulls Dylan back into the lift and pushes some buttons. As the door closes, Hiller hears 'D' say "Daa-!" The door shuts and cuts off the end of Dylan's plea. They teleport to the balcony overlooking the large bay where the Carrier Ship is being finished. They head for a catwalk.

Hiller turns, checks his weapon and runs after the new Queen. She is approaching an electronic device on the far wall. He stops, aims his weapon, fires and it jams. "Damn!" he says. He clears the gun, aims and shoots the electronic device just as the Queen is touching the keyboard. The Queen turns, growls and comes at Hiller. Three more aliens file in through a door by the wall device Hiller just shot. "Damn! Only three shots left" Hiller whispers. Hiller steels himself, sizes up his prey and says "_Semper fi_".

Because they are wearing the Queen's Communicators, no aliens interfere with Dylan and Levinson as they walk along the catwalk. Dylan spots the ship that captured him. He and Levinson make their way to it and enter. Levinson sees an alien sitting at the controls. Startled, Levinson pauses, then thinks "uhhh…the Queen told us to fly back to our planet to let everyone know we're gonna die." The alien pushes a button on the console and a door opens. Levinson and Dylan walk into the ship's hold, locate and get in Dylan's rescue ship and don their space suits. The alien transports Dylan's craft out of the Mother Ship and they depart.

Levinson looks at his watch and notes "We only have a few minutes before the ship blows. Can we get on the other side of Venus there?" he asks, pointing. "Oh, of course, you didn't know about it. Your Dad threw his little Zippo at the big Zippo in this Mother Ship. We figured it would take about 35 minutes for it to get there, and we have just under fifteen minutes before that happens. Then," he makes his hands come together then come apart and says "Boom".

"I dunno" says Dylan. "Let's see what this baby can do." Dylan flies the ship towards the far side of Venus and tries to position it between the Sun and Venus.

The weightless alien guard and the small Zippo head towards the big Zippo. The alien rapidly ages and dies. The weightless Queen continues to wriggle in the Zippo chamber. Two workers in their EVA suits head towards her while guards of the new Queen shoot at them. The small Zippo approaches the big Zippo. The air between the two Zippos begins to glow brighter and brighter. When they almost touch, a huge white light fills the enormous chamber.

As Dylan's ship approaches the far side of Venus, the Mother Ship transforms into a white flash as bright as a star in nova. The photon blast hits the tail end of Dylan's ship, vaporizing the tail. His ship is damaged, but the shadow of Venus protects most of it.

Dylan tries to retain control of his tumbling ship, which is temporarily facing Venus. He and Levinson see the debris blast strike the far side of Venus and sweep the planet's atmosphere away…towards them! The Sun comes into view as the blast strikes the ship, catastrophically disabling it. Levinson and Dylan are knocked out.

A half hour later, Dylan wakes up and finds himself in the cockpit with the roof blown off. There is no ship behind him. Levinson wakes up too. After a moment Levinson looks at Dylan and says "It looks like you have some smoke over there" while pointing to Dylan's far side. Dylan looks and finds a small air leak in his suit. He checks his wrist gauge and says "I'm out of air in fifteen minutes".

Levinson says "look at that." Dylan turns and sees Levinson pointing at the Sun. It has turned from bright yellow-white to a duller bluish-white as the debris blast strikes the Sun.

"Well, that's a sight…too bad Dad didn't see this" says Dylan. "Dad…" he says in a whisper.

The radio in the earpiece crackles.

On the radio they hear: "Night Hawk three this is Night Hawk seven, over".

"It's Parker!" yells Dylan.

Parker arrives commanding a salvage ship. Dylan and Levinson get on board and remove their space suit helmets. Dylan asks "How did you find us"?

Parker replies that a LRRP spotted them heading for Venus just before the big blast.

Parker reports that "General Gray says 'Well done'. We're ordered to head for the western White House lawn."

They land on the White House lawn at sunrise. Dylan and Levinson get out. Connie runs up to Levinson. Jasmine looks for Hiller, then spots Dylan. He gives her a sad look and shakes his head.

Connie informs POTUS that she is told the blue sun is a reaction to the alien ship blowing up and should return to normal soon. POTUS acknowledges Connie, then walks to Dylan and asks about Hiller. Dylan says "General Hiller is missing in action, Sir!" and salutes.

"He will be missed," says POTUS, saluting.

Holding her two-year old son and crying, Jasmine runs up to Dylan and hugs him. They turn and look at the deep blue rising sun and Dylan says to Jasmine:

"Everything's going to be alright, Mom."

END


End file.
